It might sound silly but only 2 out of 10 lawn owners know the right way to water Bermuda Grass in summer.
With the capability to resist drought and extreme heat, this type of grass requires a sufficient amount of water every 3-4 days, especially during summer.
In simpler words, the best way to water grass in hot weather is by learning all the basics that go into keeping a lawn healthy with proper and timely watering. Start by creating a watering schedule so you don’t miss a day of watering.
In this article, we will discuss all the best Bermuda grass watering tips to avoid mistakes and have a healthy lawn all year round.
What Is Bermuda Grass?
It’s an incredibly popular type of lawn that’s mostly found in warmer climates like southern states (like Florida), southern California, Arizona, and Texas.
The grass grows extremely fast and doesn’t require much care besides cutting regularly during warm weather months—and it’s just as vibrant as other types of lawns!
What’s the Best Time to Water Bermuda Grass?
As per experts, the best time to water Bermuda grass is early in the morning as the evaporation rate is comparatively lower than evening and night. Hence, watering early in the morning will allow water to easily soak into the soil and get absorbed by the grass.
How Often Should I Water Bermuda Grass?
Every grass type has different watering needs to grow long and healthy.
Bermuda grass is a very thirsty plant and needs regular watering to survive even during high temperatures and stand the roots up straight. In normal temperatures, Bermuda grass needs to be watered every 7-10 days.
The more you water, the faster the blades will grow, and the more beautiful your lawn will look. Below is a quick breakdown of the 5 times in the month you should water Bermuda grass.
It’s no secret that Bermuda grass is an incredibly thirsty plant. It needs to be watered every single day, and it’s important to keep track of the time of day you’re watering your grass so you can make sure it gets enough moisture throughout the day.
5 Times Of The Month You Should Water Bermuda Grass
Here are five times a month when you should water Bermuda grass:
Once a Week
This is the perfect schedule for most homeowners who want to maintain their lawn but don’t want to overdo it. Watering once a week is enough to avoid dead spots on your lawn that may lead to disease or root rot.
Every Two Weeks
If you have a lawn with Bermuda grass, this schedule will work best for you. You’ll need more frequent watering during the summer months (June-September) when temperatures are higher and humidity levels are lower. However, this schedule also works well if you live in a region with an intense drought cycle like Southern California or Florida (which experience dry winters).
Every Three Weeks
If you have more than one lawn, choose a schedule that will help you keep Bermuda grass brown and dormant. Water at least 1-1.5 inches of grass every 2-5 weeks to keep the grass growing healthy and strong.
5 Ways To Water Bermuda Grass Easily
1. Soaker Hose
The best way to water Bermuda grass is by using a soaker hose. This method allows you to position the hose where it’s needed most—like in narrow areas where a traditional sprinkler or sprinkler head can reach.
2. Water guzzlers
Guzzler is an incredible tool to spread a good quantity of water to the Bermuda grass deep down its roots. Mostly, Bermuda grass grows during spring, summer, and falls at an average growth rate of 4-6 inches, requiring an average watering time of 30-60 minutes.
3. Hose end Sprinklers
Hose end sprinklers are another effective tool to sprinkle water on Bermuda grass every 30-60 minutes daily. With hose shape ends, the water sinks in the water to moisten the soil and improve the growth.
3. In-ground sprinkler
Unlike others, in-ground sprinklers are low-volume, with low-angle heads that make watering lawns so easy and fast with balanced pressure and minimal water loss. They’re great to fix and treat the Bermuda dormant grass, especially when they lose color due to less supply of water.
4. Rotary nozzle
As the name suggests, rotary nozzles work by spreading water to Bermuda grass in a rotatory motion from nozzles. They’re great for water at an average water pressure of 20-255 psi to create a sprinkler system for different watering sessions.
5. Bucket Of Water
Fill a bucket with water and add it to your Bermuda grass. Repeat the process in the morning and evening every alternate day to keep the grass fresh, healthy, and strong. Although this process is a little time-consuming, it ensures the water sinks to the right place.
5 Best Lawn Mowers For Bermuda Grass
1. Reel Lawn Mowers:
Reel lawn mowers are great for Bermuda grass because they are cheaper to run than other types of lawn mowers. These types of mowers also cut grass at a faster rate than push or reel lawn mowers, which can save you money in the long run without paying for maintenance.
If you have a lawn with Bermuda grass covered around trees or bushes, consider using a push or reel lawn mower to sink the water into shallow roots.
2. Husk-style Mowers
Huck-style lawn mowers are the best choice for Bermuda grass, as they’re designed to minimize damage to the plant. As a beard-style mower, they sit well with Bermuda grass but might leave behind clumps of dead leaves.
3. Electric Mowers
Electric mowers are another excellent option to remove unwanted growth from your Bermuda lawn. Such type of lawn mower machine offers more control over how much you cut back and how deep you go into the ground.
4. Manual Lawn Mowers
Manual push mowers may be best suited for smaller areas as they don’t require electricity or an engine. However, these machines aren’t ideal for large gardens because they take longer than electric models, which may not be best for busy individuals.
5. Rotary Lawn Mowers
Rotary mowers cut through the grass blades at a consistent height, so they don’t have to be cut very long or deep. These types of lawnmowers are popular among homeowners who have smaller yards or gardens because they work well on small patches of Bermuda grass.
Does My Lawn Need Water In Fall?
Different climate conditions call for different water requirements for Bermuda grass. Although the Bermuda lawn requires water throughout the year, the need peaks in the fall to prepare the grass for summer. For fall, the best Bermuda grass watering tips would be to increase the duration of water sessions to stimulate grass growth and reduce late-summer effects.
5 Effective Bermuda Grass Watering Tips
We know that keeping your Bermuda grass healthy means water, water, water, but do you know how to water a Bermuda grass effectively? If not, here are 5 effective Bermuda grass watering tips to be on the right track and not make any mistakes again.
1. Don’t water too often:
Bermuda grass is a thirsty plant and requires enough time in between waterings. If you’re not sure of the best interval between watering, start with every other day and work your way up from there. Don’t rush the process instead make a proper bermuda grass watering schedule to keep things in place.
2. Don’t overdo it
Even if your Bermuda grass is thirsty, don’t water more often than recommended only because the roots look dry. However, you can use a spray bottle instead of a hose to prevent runoff and make sure your lawn stays clean all year round.
3. Don’t Water in Rain
If it’s raining outside, don’t water your Bermuda grass unless the rain stops and the grass is dry again. Watering during excess rain causes the grass to become soggy, and end up damaging the roots of your Bermuda grass.
4. Water Early In The Morning And Late At Night
Watering early in the morning and late at night allows for more time for the water to soak into the soil before evaporating during the day. Moreover, this also helps prevent injury to your lawn from over-watering or drought during the summer months when it is drier than usual.
5. Avoid Using Hot Water
During summer, using hot water on the bermuda lawn causes damage to its roots as well as other parts of the leaves which could result in wilting or dying back. Always check the temperature of the water before you spray it into the soil.
What’s the Best Way of Cutting Bermuda Grass?
The best way of cutting bermuda grass is by setting mowing height to a few inches so you can cut it fresh and healthy every time. Depending on your grass growth, set a mowing height of up to 1.5-2 inches to get the desired cutting of bermuda grass. As a thumb rule, keep it as lower as you want so you don’t have to exert much effort while mowing.
How long should i water my lawn in the summer?
If you’re wondering how long should i water lawn in the summer, the best thing to do is estimate the need for water in your lawn. On average, bermuda grass requires a water session of 20-25 minutes to wet at least 1 inch of grass every summer. Try to water bermuda grass every once or twice every two weeks so the water soaks better and deeper.
Should i Water Bermuda Grass During Seeding?
Yes, it’s important to water bermuda grass during seedlings. It’s because the seeds you sow under the soil need water to grow into a young plant by breaking its germination period and strengthen its roots.
However, proper watering also helps the seeds sprout quickly and continue growing until favorable conditions return.
Make sure to use a sprinkler system to water bermuda grass in a specific quantity as watering too much may wash the seeds away, ruining all your efforts before your first mowing.
How much water is enough for the Bermuda Grass?
Although every lawn has different watering needs, it’s best to water at least 6 to 8 inches from the top of the grass. For your ease, we’ve broken down a step-by-step checklist before you water bermuda grass on the lawn.
1. Walk on the soil
Before watering, always walk on the soil to know how much water the bermuda grass needs. It also helps in knowing if the soil has soaked all the water or some amount of water is left on the lawn.
If your footprints can be seen on the soil, there is more than enough water on the lawn, But if it’s dry enough, add a little bit more water unless the soil gets moist.
2. Screw Driver Test
If it’s your first time watering the lawn, don’t risk off walking on the soil. Instead, use a screwdriver and dig it straight into the soil to see how deep it can go.
If it can shove down to at least 6 inches, it means that the soil is moist enough and you’ve watered sufficiently.
If not, then water a little more until the soil becomes moist and tells you to stop watering.
The intensity of depth will tell you how much more water your lawn can consume.
3. Track the amount of water
The best way to track the amount of water is by using a sprinkler system. Run the sprinkler on the lawn for a specific period until it fills the gallon.
For example, if you’ve filled 0.62 gallons of water, multiply it by the square foot of your lawn.
Next, divide the multiplied value by the sprinkler flow rate you’ve noted. By doing this, you’ll get the exact time duration during which you should water your lawn.
4. Set a timer
Setting timers is another helpful and effective way to know how much water you’ve poured into your lawn and measure the water flow.
However, this method works well only if you have a sprinkler system installed on your lawn.
In case you’re watering in different halves or shorter cycles, this might not be the most compromising way to prevent overwatering the lawn.
What Is The Best Time To Water Lawn In The Winter?
The best time to water the lawn in the winter is when you’ve cleared the snow from the grass.
Because of low temperature, the water might freeze on the lawn, which is why it’s best to water the lawn when the sun rises.
Remember, watering on frost or snow will ultimately harm the grass blades and soak up all the nutrients from the grass on the lawn.
Watering early morning, from 4 Am to 9 Am, works well in most cases because of the low evaporation rate, so the grass easily soaks up all the water.
If this doesn’t suit you, go for a late afternoon but make sure the water doesn’t stay too long on the grass, inviting pests and fungal diseases.
How often should I water my lawn with a sprinkler system?
Although you cannot measure the thirst of every lawn by one formula, there’s a specific rule that answers your question.
When it comes to how often I should water my lawn with a sprinkler system, it depends on the water pressure and your lawn watering needs.
Water the soil to a point when it becomes a bit moist to prevent overwatering and underwatering.
On average, 30-45 minutes of watering bermuda grass is more than enough to water on a sunny day.
Also, you can water at once or split up the watering schedule into two halves, delivering the exact amount of water in total.
How often do you wait for fruit trees?
Water is an essential need for fruit formation on fruit trees.
This is why fruit trees require the highest quantity of water to feed the young fruits.
If you live in an area with a dry climate, water at least 2-3 gallons of water once or twice a week to keep the soil moist throughout the time.
If the need increases, add more gallons of water per square foot to allow the healthy growth of fruits with the perfect taste and fragrance.
Can I water different types of grass?
Most cool-season grasses get water through the deep root system that allows them to grow healthy and fine.
Such as zoysia, St Augustine, Bermuda, and centipede grasses have water mechanisms to tolerate high water stress and even drought conditions.
However, some grass also goes dormant because of lack of water and gets back to normal when favorable conditions return.
In summers, most of the water comes from natural irrigation and rainfall, which is why warm-season grass typically requires less water.
Such as summer heat, drought, low humidity, and dry winds trigger the need for water in the grass.
When to water lawn in summer
Because of the dry climate and natural rainfall, you should regularly water your lawn in the summer to avoid drought conditions and dry roots.
Whichever sprinkler you use, water at least at a depth of 1/3 inches daily for at least 15-30 minutes to fulfill the water needs of your lawn.
How often do you water grass in winter?
Don’t water in winter if there’s snow-covered grass. If the temperature is below freezing point, water the lawn for an average of 15-30 minutes every two weeks to keep the soil moist and reduce the effect of dry winter finds.
When is it too cold to water grass seeds?
Any temperature below 4°C or 40° F is too cold to water grass seed as it becomes dormant and doesn’t require regular watering.
Frozen grass seeds break their dormancy period when favorable conditions return.
Conclusion:
The more, the better rules don’t work well when it comes to watering bermuda grass lawn.
Too much watering can disturb the root system and make the soil oversaturated. While watering, too little can dry out the soil and turn the grass yellow.
In this guide, we covered all the tips and tricks you need to water bermuda grass effectively.
Till then, happy mowing.
